PoliticoMitch McConnell says Senate would acquit Donald Trump if impeachment trial held today

Even if House impeaches president, Senate vote would still be needed to remove him from office

Top Republican senator suggests Democrats running for president might prefer to spend time campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire instead

1-MIN READ1-MIN

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 5:48am, 6 Nov 2019Updated: 6:10am, 6 Nov 2019

This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Marianne Levine on politico.com on November 5, 2019.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that the Senate would acquit US President Donald Trump if an impeachment trial were held today.

“I will say I’m pretty sure how it’s likely to end,” McConnell told reporters.

“If it were today I don’t think there’s any question – it would not lead to a removal. So the question is how long does the Senate want to take? How long do the presidential candidates want to be here on the floor of the Senate instead of in Iowa and New Hampshire?”

The Kentucky Republican added that he has yet to speak with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on how the Senate would handle impeachment. But he said the two would likely start by looking at the agreement struck between former Senate leaders Tom Daschle and Trent Lott during the Clinton impeachment trial.